General InformationEmergencies and disasters can occur with little or no warning so it's important that everyone in the community prepares for such an event.
Napier's Civil Defence operates as a section within the Napier City Council's community development department. The council employs a full-time manager of Civil Defence and Emergency Management. The role includes recruiting and training volunteers and organising training exercises.
But Civil Defence Emergency Management is not just a local government response to disaster - it is an integrated function that involves many agencies to ensure a comprehensive, collective and successful community response.
Napier City Council coordinates Napier's community-integrated emergency management planning and ensures a Civil Defence plan is in place for the city. The plan identifies the organisations needed to maintain social stability and encourage rapid recovery in the event of a disaster.
Civil Defence Emergency Management sets priorities and coordinates the disaster response. In the event of a disaster, emergency, medical and health services, utility operators and welfare agencies will continue managing their organisations and individual responses, but they will be required to work with the priorities set and coordinated at Napier's Civil Defence Emergency Management operations centre, located in the Civic Building in Hastings Street.